Monday, November 22, 2010

Internet's Effect on Supreme Court Reporting

Two Supreme Court correspondents highlighted the difference the Internet has made:

Even just two years ago, Linda Greenhouse . . . had an admittedly old-fashioned approach to reporting on the U.S. Supreme Court. When a ruling was issued, typically around 10:30 a.m., Greenhouse would take the written materials and sit alone in a room until she’d read every word. Then she would return to the Washington, D.C., bureau of The New York Times and proceed to write up her story for the 6 p.m. deadline.

Now, when Dahlia Lithwick is writing about a Supreme Court decision, she starts getting e-mails at 11 a.m. asking when the story will be online.